US EditionHackers Breach Iran State TV to Air Exiled Prince's Protest Call
The hack aired a 10-minute broadcast urging Iranian security forces to join protests amid a crackdown that activists say has killed at least 3,919 people, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
- On January 18, 2026, Iran's state broadcaster IRIB was hijacked, briefly airing Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi's message via the Badr satellite, though authenticity remains unconfirmed.
- After a near-total blackout that began on January 8, 2026, NetBlocks, internet monitoring group, reported a fleeting restoration of connectivity earlier Sunday that allowed some content to circulate.
- Videos circulating online showed repeated messages telling the Iranian army and security forces not to turn their weapons on the people, with a photograph of Masoud Pezeshkian addressed in an appeal.
- No one has claimed credit for the intrusion, Iranian officials blamed an unnamed foreign country, and Fars reported Irancell's CEO Alireza Rafiei was removed Sunday for failing to comply with shutdown orders.
- Amid a deadly crackdown that officials say killed at least 5,000 people, Reuters reported more than 24,000 arrests amid U.S. military moves and President Donald Trump's strike pause.
122 Articles
122 Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
Exiled prince appears on Iran state TV as hackers disrupt transmissions
Footage aired across multiple channels showed clips of Reza Pahlavi and a message urging Iranian security forces not to point their weapons at the people.
The video was also shown by the exhilarated heir prince Reza Pahlavi, who requested security forces to join the Aiatolas regime.
Hackers Target Iran's State TV To Air Footage Supporting Exiled Crown Prince
Hackers disrupted Iranian state television satellite transmissions to air footage supporting the country's exiled crown prince and calling on security forces to not "point your weapons at the people," footage online showed early Monday.
In Bold Act of Defiance, Hackers Hijack Iran State TV
Hackers briefly seized Iran's state TV satellite feed and used it to beam out a message from the country's exiled crown prince urging security forces to stop firing on demonstrators, according to footage circulating online. The interruption hit multiple channels of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting on Sunday night, replacing...
The Shah son Reza Pahlavi has announced his return to Iran from his exile in the USA. However, it is open whether the 65-year-old can enter the country at all and what consequences he threatens as opposition politicians. In a video message on Platform X, Pahlavi said, according to a translation, that the people in Iran did not only reject the regime, but demanded a credible new path into the future. It is time for the international community to …
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